Christmas Shopping
by xfacexthisx
Summary: Challenge fic. This is about the ghost of Trisha helping Izumi buy presents for Edward and Alphonse. NoPairings excluding a few mentions of IzumiSig. AU.


**Notes:** This story was done for a challenge between Alima8314, Songfic Misstress, and myself. I recommend that you check out their versions as well.  
**Challenge:** "I was thinking perhaps the ghost of Trisha stops by and has a chat with Izumi regarding the boys. Or, in Izumi's dreams or something like that."

**Deadline:** Christmas.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FullMetal Alchemist or any of the characters, though I strongly wish I did.  
**Warning:** This story is AU. In the true alchemic world, Christmas doesn't exist. I'm quite sure that Izumi and Trisha are out of character as well. Trisha isn't given much of a character in the anime, and you are merely told that she is nice, so she might not actually be considered OOC. Alphonse and Edward probably are too.

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"Hey! Get up!" Izumi heard a female voice say. Izumi sat up rather fast—there should not be a woman in her house. The only people that were supposed to be here were her husband, Edward, and Alphonse. Izumi looked around for the source of the voice and found a petite, brunette woman standing in the corner of her bedroom. Though the woman looked very nice, it was disturbing that she was in Izumi's bedroom. Izumi highly doubted that Sig would let anyone in without asking.

The most disturbing thing was that this woman was semi-transparent.

"Who are you?" Izumi asked.

"Trisha Elric. Pleased to meet you." The woman smiled brightly.

"Tri—then, you're Edward and Alphonse's mother?" Izumi asked.

"Yes." Trisha replied, and nodded.

"Uh-huh...but aren't you...?" Izumi didn't know how to finish such a sentence without being rude.

"Dead? Yes. I'm a ghost. Now, stop wasting time. We have to go Christmas shopping for my boys."

"...Christmas shopping?"

"Yes! I know you wanted to skip the holiday, but I can't allow that. Now get dressed." In no time, Izumi was not only dressed, but also the ghost of Trisha Elric managed to drag her to a store. It was a simple general store, where they mostly sold groceries, but also a few necessary household items such as toothpaste, cleaning items, underwear, and such.

As soon as Izumi walked in, she saw the musical instruments.

"How about we get them a harmonica? Kids like those, right?" Izumi asked the ghost quietly. Sig had seen the two leaving, and hadn't even commented on Trisha, so Izumi was quite sure that only she could see and hear the mother of Edward and Alphonse.

"No good. Teenagers are unpredictable. You can never tell what kind of music they want. You wouldn't know if they want a harmonica or a trumpet." Trisha sighed. "Let's keep looking."

The next things that Izumi and Trisha passed were some books.

"Books?" Izumi whispered.

"What?" A male young adult looked up from the book he was reading.

"Oh! Nothing at all. I was just talking to myself." Izumi replied to him.

"...Kay." The teenager returned to his book.

"Books are a bad choice too. You have no idea what teenagers read." Trisha said.

"I know one thing that male teenagers 'read'." Izumi muttered.

"Don't talk about my boys like that! They aren't like that!" Trisha said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Sorry." Izumi said. She continued walking and came upon a small display of wooden trains, boats, and planes. "How about a toy?" She asked Trisha quietly. Trisha laughed sweetly.

"Now, now. My boys aren't children, though they act like it sometimes." Trisha said. The two continued walking until suddenly, Trisha gasped. "Do you see that? It's perfect!"

Izumi followed the ghost's line of vision and saw the display.

"Yes, it is. Let's get them that. They might not like it, but they'll need it."

Izumi grabbed what she needed from the display and paid.

A few days later, Christmas came to the Curtis home. Edward and Alphonse didn't expect to get anything, but when they came downstairs, Izumi was waiting with two boxes.

"You got us presents?" Edward asked. Izumi nodded, smiling. "...I'm guessing it's a trap."

"Take what I give you gratefully!" Izumi said, smacking Edward over the head. He took the box that was handed to him.

"But, teacher, we didn't get you anything..." Alphonse said as he took the box that Izumi handed him.

"That's okay, Alphonse. Just open your present, and that will be my present." Al slid a metal finger under a fold of the wrapping and lifted. After doing such to a few folds, the present was open. The holes where his eyes were seemed to shine.

"I love it!" Alphonse exclaimed.

"You, um..." Edward started. "You got me underwear and socks?" He asked awkwardly. Edward was slightly embarrassed that his teacher would buy him such a thing. He liked to do that kind of shopping for himself. Granted, he hadn't been doing such a good job lately, but Izumi still didn't have to buy him such a thing.

"Yes, Edward. I noticed that yours were getting a little ratty when I forced you to do your laundry in the stream yesterday."

"Well, um, thank you. How did you know what size I wore?" Edward asked.

"Oh, a little birdy told me." Izumi winked at Trisha, who was sitting in the corner watching all of this.

"Brother may not like his gift, but I love mine." Alphonse said. He was sporting a brand new sky blue loincloth. "Loincloths of every color. Thank you again!"

"You should wash them first." Edward said. "They're ridiculously bright. Kind of a 'burn your eyes out' bright."

"Good! It'll stop perverts from looking at my crotch!" Alphonse said, determined to make Edward see the optimistic side of this. He liked the brightness of the loincloths, personally.

However, in his attempt to make Edward see the good side of things, Alphonse left Edward, Izumi, and Trisha wondering: "Why would they be staring at Alphonse's crotch?"

Izumi and Trisha both shot Edward a glance that asked if he had given Al any male genitalia, though he only saw Izumi's glance. Edward held up his hands to say he was innocent.

Alphonse laughed silently. He _was_ joking, but why let them know that?

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A/N: I think I might have gotten a bit off of the challenge topic, but hopefully it was good. Thank you for reading, and remember to go read Songfic Misstress's and Alima8314's versions too! They might not have the same title, but it will be from today and will say Challenge Fic in the summary. If you can't find it, send me a PM and I'll help you.  
Alima8314's story is called "Our Boys" and I can honestly say that my story pales in comparison, according to me.


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